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Developing Tamar as Hong Kong's prime civic core fulfils the planning objective for the site and accords with the long-term interest of the community.
In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council (Legco)'s Panel on Planning Lands and Works, the Government sets out the reasons for the relaunch of the Tamar development project. The paper also outlines the implementation plan of the project and measures to be taken to address the environmental concerns raised by certain sectors of the community in the past few months.
A spokesman for the Administration Wing, which co-ordinates the project, said today (November 16) that the proposal to develop the Tamar site aligned with Central District (Extension) Outline Zoning Plan (OZP). The OZP has gone through the necessary statutory procedures and due process of public consultation from 1998 before its approval by the Executive Council in 2000 pursuant to the recommendation of the Town Planning Board.
"The project incorporates the design and construction of the proposed Central Government Complex, Legco Complex, Civil Place and other ancillary facilities. In April and May, 2003, the Administration consulted the Panel on Planning Lands and Works and the Public Works Subcommittee of Legco and obtained their support for the project," the spokesman said.
However, in view of the need to assess the impact of the SARS outbreak on the economy and public finances, the Government put on hold its submission to the Finance Committee and later announced the decision to defer the project in November, 2003.
"Notwithstanding the deferral, the Government had stated then that developing the Tamar site into Hong Kong's prime civic core remained the Government's long-term commitment," the spokesman said.
Given the improvement in the Government's financial position, the Administration considers it timely to relaunch the Tamar project now. The construction of the Central Government Complex and Legco Complex will solve the ongoing problems of acute shortfall of office space faced by both the Government Secretariat and Legco; and of rising maintenance costs. The implementation of the project will also bring job opportunities for the construction industry which has been hard hit by unemployment.
"In view of public aspiration for preserving as much open view as possible to the ridgeline and the harbour, and their concern over the intensity of new development at Tamar, the Administration has decided to excise the Exhibition Gallery in the original plan from the re-launched project.
"To protect the ridgeline, the Administration is considering the feasibility of imposing a specific height restriction of 130 metres to 160 metres PD (i.e. Principal Datum) as the maximum height ceiling for new buildings to be developed at Tamar," the spokesman said.
The Administration attached great importance to the design of the project, its integration with the construction process, and the need to achieve early implementation. Hence, a two-stage tender exercise to select the design-and-build contractor would be conducted. The first-stage exercise of prequalification will be initiated before the end of this year. The project is envisaged to commence in 2007 and be completed in 2010, subject to funding approval by Legco.
Ends/Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Issued at HKT 17:11
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